Process of treating mineral oils.



J. DEHNST.

PROCESS OF TREATING MINERAL OILS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.17, 1906.

Patented 001;. 6, 1914.

To all whom it may concern JULIUS manner, or HALnnsnn; NEAR BE LIN, GERMANY.

rnocnss or TREATING MINERAL oILs.

Specification of I-etters Batent. n j Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

Application filed earn nt 1906. Seria1'No.312,070.

Be it known that I, JULIUs DEHNST, doc-; tor of philosophy, chemist, a subject of the, King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing; at J oachim-F riedrichstrasse, Halensee, near Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German; Empire, have invented new and useful T nprovemcnts 'in Processes of Treating Min-f eral Oils, of which the following is a specifi-j cation. I

This invention relates to the processes of; treating mineral oils, in order to ameliorate; the burning properties of certain oils.

Certain sorts of crude petroleum, for instance the so-called Texas or Ohio oil, have a very unpleasant smell, which is found also in the manufactured products from such crude petroleum. F or this reason, the said oils, which are specially characterized by the presence of sulfur or sulfur compounds, are very unsuitable for the manufacture of burning oils. The special disadvantage of their unpleasant odor makes it almost 1111- possible to obtain from these crude oils a good" burning oil. Several attempts have hitherto been made to remove from the said oils the sulfur therein contained. The chief processes proposed for this purpose conslst in treating the mineral oils with metal compounds capable of forming with sulfur sulfur compounds of the metals.

I have found that the unpleasant smell in the distillates from crude petroleum maybe removed or diminished by mixing the mineral oil with sulfur and then, first, separating by distillation from the oil the constltuents boiling at and below 150 degrees centigrade, whereupon, secondly, the 011 is heated with the sulfur to temperatures above 150 degrees centigrade} but under conditions which will prevent the escape of the remaining constituents of the oil. The result mentioned is very unexpected, because the unpleasant properties mentioned have been hitherto attributed to the presence of sulfur in the oil. p

Figure l of the drawings illustrates, in vertical section, an apparatus suitable for carrying out the first step of the present process. Fig. 2 illustrates, 1n vert1cal section, an apparatus suitable for=carry1ng out the second step of the present process.

My process is carried out in the following manner: 1000 kilograms of crude petroleum are mixed with kilograms of sulfur. This mixture is placed in the fiask a of the apparatus, shown in vertical section in Fig.

l of the drawings. The mixture of crude petroleum and sulfur is indicated by b in Fig. l. The flask disconnected with an inclined cooler c, with which is connected a vessel d for collecting the distillate. The

mixture of crude petroleum and sulfur b is heated to the temperature of 150 degrees centigrade by means ofthe lamp 0. The

2 oils distilling off until the said temperature is reached are condensed by means of the inv clined cooler a and collected in the vessel d.

= After the oils having a boiling point of 150 C. and below, have been distilled 01f, flask a andthe inclined cooler c are disconnected, and flask a cooler 7 having a container 0 for the cooling fluid, as Water as shown in-vertical-scction in Fig. 2. The mixture of crude petroleum and sulfur remaining after the evaporation is connected with the reflux of the oil components of the boiling points below 150 degrees c'entigrade isheatedfrom 150 degrees centlgrade until about 170 de grees centlgrade until the evolution of sulfureted hydrogen has ceased, the being carried out under conditions which will prevent the distillates escaping. The reflux cooler must be kept at such temperature that th distillates are condensed and return to the flask. At a temperature a little above 150 degrees centigrade the action of the sulfur on the crude petroleum begins with evolution of sulfureted hydrogen. Before the said temperature of 150 C. has been reached, no evolution of sulfureted hydrogen' takes place. The low boiling portions called by the terms benzin, gasolene, etc., have not the disagreeable odor of the oils mentioned, even if they are obtained from oils of bad odor. The objectionable odor is only found in the high boilingpore tions of the oils. The temperature of heating may be increased, but care must be taken that through the actlonof the reflux cooler no constituents of the oil distil off. The preliminary removal of the oils boiling below 150 C. is essential. The action of the sulfur begins only at temperatures above .l5O C.

The oily vapors are condensed by the cooler and return to the heated oil, whereas the,sulfureted hydrogen is conducted away from the apparatus by means of a pipe f After the action is completed. The remaining oil is finally fractioned so that the distillatesof said evolution is finished the resuch boiling points as the workman desires to secure will be obtained. The sulfur as far as it is not evolved as sulfureted hydrogen remains in the residue after the distillation. The added sulfur ceases to act as soon as all the sulfur present in the oil has been removed as sulfureted hydrogen. The oil may be decanted from an excess of unchanged sulfur. by this fractioned distillation may be treated in the usual manner, for instance, by repeated distillation .or by successive treatments with caustic soda lye and sulfuric acid, combined, if desired, with distillation. It is necessary to separate the oils boiling below 150 (3., because only after the said oils have been separated can action of the sulfur on the oil be obtained.

The present process may be applied to all crude oils which contains sulfur, especially the so-called Texas or Ohio oil. The proc- 4 css may, however, also be used for treating Russian, Galizian or German crude oils which contain constituents of disagreeable odor.

The amount of sulfur and the temperature of distillation required for the present process, may be varied according to the nature of the crude oil to be treated and the products desired. The skilled workman will ascertain these conditions by experiments.

The distillates obtained.

miacoa The amount of sulfur to be added and the duration of the heating depend upon the amount of the components of disagreeable odor. lfthe quantity of such compo- 'nents present in the crude oil is large, a

higher proportion of sulfur must be taken and the mixture must be heated for a longer time than if a smaller amount of such components were present.

What I claim as m to secure by Letters atent is 1. The process of treating mineral oils which consists in adding sulfur to mineral oils, distilling a portion ofi before sulfureted hydro-gen is evolved and heating the remaining oiluntil the evolution of sulfureted hydrogen has ceased.

2. The process of treating mineral oils which consists in adding sulfur to mineral oils, distilling ofi the portions boiling at and below 150 degrees centigrade and heating the remaining oil at temperatures above 150 degrees centigrade until the evolution of sulfureted hydrogen has ceased.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS DEHNST.

invention and desire Witnesses VVOLDEMAR HAUr'r, HENRY Hasrnn. 

